


Lost Property

by Nympha_Alba



Category: Merlin (TV) RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-20
Updated: 2011-04-20
Packaged: 2017-10-18 10:40:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/188096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nympha_Alba/pseuds/Nympha_Alba
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The station was deserted. "This is the second time I've been here when there's not a soul around," said Bradley. "It's kind of creepy."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost Property

It was late when they entered the train station. The waiting area was empty and quiet and the platform completely abandoned; a small, lit isle floating in a sea of darkness.

"This is the second time I've been here when there's not a soul around," said Bradley, looking around. "It's kind of creepy."

Colin glanced at him, his eyes shadowed by the beanie hat. "Thanks for suggesting I have no soul."

Bradley made a vaguely spooky gesture with raised arms and clawed hands and said "wooo", and Colin snorted. Their breath was visible like smoke and Colin huddled deeper into his collar, hands shoved in his pockets. He looked tired and pale in the gloomy light and Bradley quenched an impulse to slide an arm around his shoulders, pull him close and rub his back. He looked away and hummed a random tune under his breath, annoyed at his constant urge to take care of Colin.

The temperature dropped by the minute and soon snowflakes appeared, dancing slowly through the air like tiny feathers from some gigantic pillowfight in the sky. Colin gave Bradley a grin and jogged along the platform to where the roof ended, tipping his head back to catch snowflakes on his tongue like a child, still with his hands in his pockets.

Bradley watched Colin in the pale glow of an overhead lamp, his too-lean frame lit against the backdrop of night. The tenderness that sat like an ache in his chest was frightening in its intensity but he had stopped questioning it long ago, accepted it along with the near-certainty that Colin would never want what Bradley wanted, would never want that kind of closeness.

From time to time Bradley found himself _flirting_ which was a little disconcerting, but every time he thought _oh well_ because he didn't know what else to do or how to retrace his steps once he'd started. Colin's reaction was always either a shyly polite withdrawal or solid incomprehension. He'd only responded positively once or twice, when they were drunk, in the shape of small, beautiful, self-conscious smiles and downcast eyes with the occasional upward glance under long lashes. It had been thrilling but nothing had ever happened, and Bradley didn't really know what to make of it. He wondered why he was so utterly unable to be straightforward about this, whatever _this_ was -- but he couldn't bring himself to make the move, to ask, to touch.

Whenever he did touch Colin -- because he couldn't deny himself the pleasure completely -- it was always in safe situations with a lot of people around as an insurance against him making a complete fool of himself, and it was always in a joking, matey way; hand on shoulder, arm-punch, a hard arm around Colin's neck. Never the gentle fingers on Colin's jaw tilting his face to a good angle or the hands sliding over warm skin that Bradley sometimes allowed himself to dream about.

 _Fuck, Morgan, you need to eat more_ , he thought now, cupping his hands in front of his mouth and blowing into them to fight the cold. _You're too thin._ He wanted to grab Colin by the wrist and pull him inside somewhere nice and warm, sit him down in front of a blazing fire and hand him a mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows floating on top. But then, he corrected himself, it would have to be some weird soymilk concoction, and Colin was probably against marshmallows on principle or genuinely didn't like them, because he was hopeless like that.

Bradley didn't realise he was chuckling until Colin turned to look at him and came jogging over with a quizzical smile.

"What?" he demanded, stopping a foot away and bouncing up and down like he did on set, to keep warm. "Do you disapprove of childish enthusiasm all of a sudden? It's usually your thing, did I intrude on your territory?"

Bradley shook his head, grinning. "Just something silly I was thinking about."

The air glittered with snow and Bradley's mind glittered with Colin's eyes, and when he realised Colin was shaking with cold he pulled him back towards the building, into a corner, away from the wind and, as it happened, away from the bright light. Before he could think, he did what he'd wanted to do for the past ten minutes, or three years, and pulled Colin into a hug and rubbed his back, hard. After a moment's surprise Colin relaxed against him with a small, quiet laugh, his hands settling unsurely on Bradley's waist so lightly he could barely feel it through his pea coat.

"How come you're always so cold when you have so many layers of clothing on?" Bradley asked. His palms burned with the friction of the jacket and he took a step back to see Colin's face, his hands hesitant on Colin's shoulders.

"In case you haven't noticed, it is cold," Colin replied. "It's actually even snowing."

The light sculpted his face, a triangular shadow under each sharp cheekbone, the small dimple just below the corner of his mouth becoming visible as he pouted in mock-pique. Bradley wanted to touch it with a fingertip, or even better, with his tongue. The thought curled into his belly as heat.

"I almost can't feel my hands," Colin complained, flexing them at Bradley's sides.

 _Seize the moment, James_ , Bradley thought foggily. Unbuttoning his coat, he took Colin's hands and pulled them around his own waist until they met at his back. He hugged Colin to him again and they were pressed against each other front to front, touching all the way from chest to knee, Bradley's heart beating like it wanted to escape his ribcage. Colin stilled against him and didn't move away, didn't move at all except for a barely perceptible shiver running the length of his body. The beanie snagged a little on Bradley's stubble and Bradley closed his eyes, sending up a silent, frantic prayer of _please, please, please_ to anyone or anything that might be listening. Exactly what he was asking for wasn't clear, perhaps just for Colin to stay and take Bradley's warmth without questioning, to want this as much as Bradley did.

After three long seconds of waiting, Colin turned his head and slowly moved the tip of his cold nose along Bradley's cheekbone into his hair at the temple, staying there for a moment before his lips touched Bradley's jaw just where it met the ear. Bradley's gasp was of the distinctly undignified kind but it didn't seem to put Colin off. His hands, splayed over Bradley's back, began to move slowly up and down until Bradley's breath quickened. It was ridiculous that he should be so affected by Colin touching his back through two layers of t-shirts, but he wanted to press into the touch, wanted Colin's hands to come under his clothes.

Snowflakes whirled in and settled like stars on the sleeve of his coat, but he didn't feel the cold any more. When Colin began to move his mouth down the side of Bradley's neck, softly kissing his way down, Bradley pulled the beanie hat off with one hand and ran the other through Colin's hair, pushed his fingers through it from his forehead down until he touched skin, then stroked upward from the back of his neck. Colin seemed to like that -- there was a small sound pressed into Bradley's collarbone, a near-inaudible vibration, and suddenly his tongue was warm and wet in the hollow of Bradley's throat. Bradley threw his head back and moaned, abandoning every last attempt at dignity, shuddering with cold and lust and heat as Colin shifted his hips against him and Bradley's fingers scrabbled through thick dark hair to find the curves and ridges of a stupidly adorable ear.

When Colin lifted his head and let their eyes meet, Bradley wasn't sure if any of this was real, but at least his body knew what it wanted. The kiss had to happen and almost did. Bradley's fingers curled around the back of Colin's neck and their mouths touched on a gust of warm breath, but just as a sound began to escape from the back of Bradley's throat, Colin pulled away. His eyes were wide and dark; the perfect, nearly kissed lips holding half a smile.

"What -- " Bradley began, caught up halfway in his forward movement, but Colin cut him off with a gesture of his head.

"Train's coming."

It was, and reality returned along with it.

Bradley took a deep breath and clumsily buttoned his coat as he followed Colin to the edge of the platform. His hands felt empty, still tingling with the feel of Colin's skin and hair, and he wanted some kind of sign, a reply to an unasked question, _something_ to ensure that whatever had just happened between them wouldn't be left here at the station like hopelessly lost property.

Colin didn't say anything, didn't even look at him, but as they boarded the train his fingers caught Bradley's hand, sliding down the back of it like a promise.


End file.
